Ottis Anderson had one of the best rookie seasons ever for a Running Back gaining over 1,600 yards on the ground. Too bad he did for a bad St. Louis Cardinals team that was barely on the National radar.Anderson would prove he was not a one-season wonder. Although he would never again equal his rookie numbers he still posted decent…
Although Quarterback sacks have always taken place in football, it was not an official statistic in the NFL until 1982. The first labelled “sackmaster” of American football would have to be the flamboyant and somewhat controversial Mark Gastineau who terrorized Quarterbacks; and not because he had sex with Brigitte Neilsen.
Usually, when you speak of a five-year career in any sport, you can't be talking about a great player. Not very many people had a five-year run like Cecil Isbell.
Considering that Todd Christensen was drafted as a Running Back, it is impressive that he developed into one of the most successful Tight Ends of the 1980s.
It is one thing to be highly touted out of college and rack up serious statistics in the National Football League. It is quite another to do that when you go undrafted. Rod Smith lit up the league when nobody saw it coming.
A member of the 100 Sack club (133.5 exactly), John Abraham was a pounding Defensive End who terrorized Quarterbacks for years. Eight times he would exceed ten sacks in a season and was a very popular figure during his time with the New York Jets and the Atlanta Falcons. A very intriguing candidate, Abraham is as of this writing in…
From the University of Mississippi, Larry Grantham was a second round pick by the New York Titans in 1960 (he was a 15th rounder in the NFL) and a member of the original team.
Marshall Goldberg was a major star at the University of Pittsburgh, and he would ply his trade well for the Chicago Cardinals. Goldberg did it all in the early 1940s, especially in the 1941 season where he rushed for 427 Yards, received passes for 313 Yards and was the top finisher in Kick Return Yards (290), earning him the league…
Art Monk may have been the lead receiver for the Washington Redskins for a long period of time, but he was paired up with another great Wide Receiver who was in his shadow somewhat. Of course, at 5’ 9, Gary Clark was in a lot of player’s shadows.
Generally, non Quarterbacks don’t have spectacular seasons in their 30’s, but Henry Ellard did. In fact, he really didn’t become a star in the National Football League until he turned 27.
While Rosey Grier was better known for being one of the inaugural members of the Los Angeles Rams' "Fearsome Foursome," the defensive stalwart was a better player in the first two-thirds of his professional career when he was with the New York Giants. Grier helped the New York win the 1956 NFL Championship, and the two Pro Bowls (1956 and…
Darren Woodson arrived in Dallas as one of the Draft Picks acquired in the Herschel Walker trade, and the 2nd Rounder from Arizona State wasted little time establishing himself as a force in the Cowboys Secondary, even though he was a Linebacker in college. A member of the All-Rookie Team, Woodson aided Dallas to a win in Super Bowl XXVII…
Drafted 8th overall by the San Diego Chargers in 1986, Leslie O'Neal made an immediate impact in the NFL by winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year and accumulating 12.5 Sacks. He would suffer a knee injury that would take him out of football for a year and a half, but by 1989 he was ready to come back, and…
The New Orleans Saints offense has been good for so long, it is forgotten that when they were finally able to put decent teams together in the early ’90s, it was on the strength of their defense. Pat Swilling was a big part of those squads.
There were many stars of the Chicago Bears throughout the 1980s and many were flashy and unforgettable. Jay Hilgenberg was an unsung hero of that squad and an anchor of the Offensive Line.
Alan Ameche was the Heisman Trophy winner in 1954, and the Wisconsin Badgers star promptly went 3rd Overall in the Draft. Chosen by the Baltimore Colts, he would win the NFL Rookie of the Year, leading the league in Rushing Yards, Rushing Touchdowns, and Yards from Scrimmage. This was Ameche's best statistical year, but he would become an offensive fixture…
Undrafted and out of Football, the Indianapolis Colts gave Jeff Satursay a chance to make their roster. Saturday did and would become the leader of the Offensive Line that protected the great Peyton Manning for a decade. He would make six Pro Bowls and earn two First Team All-Pro selections and was the 2007 NFL Alumni Offensive Lineman of the…